Blowout preventer



Sept. 3. 1940.

3 Sheets-Sheetl Filed March 20, 1939 I o 3 2 0 7 M H a 8 v4 4. M M 2E5:552:22 m a. J M 2 5 H i\ z 2 J II. L m P M F. 1 A 4 2 .0 8 2 a 1 4 M MM/ 4 0 W 4 {MW Q AL J WV E all I z/ \\.\H\\ j 1 F1 m 2 M 6 U M 7 56 Sept. 3, 1940. J, c FORTUNE 2,213,309

BLOWOUT PREVENTER Filed March 20, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 3, 1940. J. c. FORTUNE BLOWOUT PREVENTER 3 Sheets-Shet 3 Filed March 20, 1939 jjwuc n-fcm J. c": FORTUNE.

Patented Sept. 3, 1940 PATENT" OFFlCE BLOWOUT PREVENTER James C. Fortune, Houston, Tex., assignor to Reed Roller Bit Company, Houston, Tex, a corporation of Texas Application March 20, 1939, Serial No. 262,890 7,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a means for use in preventing well blowouts, and has for its general object the provision of a device which can be placedon the upper end of a string of pipe in a well at any time for the purpose of preventing the well from blowing out through such pipe.

This invention has particular application for the purpose of preventing blowouts through drill stems or the like.

Various means have been provided in the past for preventing wells being drilled or completed I from blowing out through the annular space between the casing around a pipe located in the well or for closing off the upper end of the well entirely in event no pipe is in place therein. It frequently happens, however, that at the time a blowout threatens a pipe such as the drilling string may be suspended within the well, and it is entirely possible for a blowout to take place through such pipe unless means is provided for preventing such a happening. The present in-' vention relates to such a means.

When a blowout is threatened, the fiow at first may be relatively small but the pressure behind such flow may be very high. It has been found to be practically impossible under most circumstances to close the'upper end of a pipe through which such a flow is taking place by threading a cap onto the pipe because the flow will prevent the cap from being placed in position and the threads engaged. Means has been provided in the past whereby a fitting having an open valve therein is threaded to the upper end of the pipe, the flow taking place through the valve during the threading operation, after which the valve is closed to stop the blowout. However, the valve in such instances prevents further operations .from being carried on because it is thereafter impossible to lower the valve into .the well, and in the event the pipe is a drill stem, to rotatethe drill stem down 'in the well with such valve in place therein. Furthermore, once the valve is lowered into the drill stem, if it can be lowered, it cannot thereafter be openedso as to permit tion. Thus, with the prior devices employed the heavier fluid than that existing in the well. This may, however, be impossible if the ,pipe does not extend a good portion ofthe. distance toward the bottom of the well, because under such circumflow which is necessary during the drilling opera- I only thing that can be done is to attempt to kill* the well by pumping into the well through the pipe which is usually partly, out of the hole a stances the heavy fluid cannot be made to replace sufiicient of the other fluid in the well to enable it to hold the well pressure.

It is anv object of this invention to provide a means which may be placed on a pipein a well when a blowout is threatened, which means may then be employed to close the well and prevent the blowout but which will not interfere withfurther use of the pipe for drilling purposes or for v .the purpose of injecting a heavy fluid into the well to *kill the same.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

one embodiment of this invention is set forthby way of example in the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical cross section showing the upper end of a pipe with a device constructed in accordance with this invention in place thereon, the same being in openposition.

Fig. '2 is a similar view of the same device in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to the upper portion of Fig. 2 but showing a slight modification.

Fig. 4 shows a horizontal cross section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows a horizontal cross section taken along the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 shows a horizontal cross along the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

section taken still further modification.

in Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the upper end of a pipe through which a blowout is threatened.

Fig. 10 is a similar view of the same pipe with a device constructed in accordance .With this invention in place thereon but still in open position.

- Fig. 11 is a view smiliar to Fig. 10 but showing the device in closed position with the 'blowout stopped and with the apparatus imposition for further use in the wellfor the purpose of kill-- ing the well orperforming additional drilling operations. f

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 but showing an additional length of pipe connected to the upper --'end of the apparatus preparatory to low-- ering it further into the well.

In accordance with this invention, a fitting l is provided having a threaded pin on its lower end as shown at 2 adapted to threadedly engage the box portion 3 bf -a tool joint in a drill stem. This fitting l is of the same external diameter as the tool joint 3 and is provided with an internal chamberlike portion 4 of slightly enlarged diameter adapted to receive a dart 5 having supporting vanes 6 radiating from the lower end thereof and a sealing member 1 surrounding the upper end thereof. The supporting vanes6 are as illustrated adapted to engage the shoulder 8 at the lower end of the enlarged section 4 in the fitting l and thus limit downward movement of the dart. These vanes are also adapted to serve as guides to center the dart within the chamber 4. The upper end of the dart is provided with a rounded nose 8 of an external diameter adapted to fit within the passageway 9 through the fitting ID. This fitting I0 is likewise of the same external diameter as the tool joint 3 and is threaded to the upper end of the fitting I as shown at H. The bore 9 is of smaller diameter than the chamber 4 and the vanes 6 are adapted to contact the lower end of the fitting Ill-and limit movement of the dart-5 into the bore 9. The sealing member 1 is preferably an inverted flexible seal ing cup type of the type adapted upon upward pressure when the dart is in its upper. position to expand and form a sealing engagement with the walls of the bore 9. Threaded into the upper end of the fitting I0 is a third fitting l2, the threaded engagement between the fitting i9 and the element l2 being the same as the two sections of a tool joint. In other words, the upper end of the fitting ID is adapted to receive the pin portion of the tool joint which would ordinarily cooperate with the box portion 3 of the tool joint. This fitting I2 is provided with a spider-like menib'er I3'therein forming a central guide l4 holding a vertically movable shaft l5. This shaft has a lower end portion l6 shaped to cooperate with the nose 8 of the dart and hold the dart in lowermost or open position. The upper end of this shaft I5 is formed with a fiattened part I! disposed within the narrow portion l8 of an opening through a retaining block l9.

This retaining block I9 is carried by a pair of outwardly extending bearings or handles 20 passing through bearing members 2| in the opposite sides of the fitting l2 and extending outwardly from this fitting. In communication with the portion iii of the opening through the block I9 is an enlarged portion 22 through which the shaft I5 may freely pass. The block is normally; prevented from movement radially with respect to the shaft l5 by means of a shear pin 23 passing through the flattened end portion of the shaft 15 and through the side wall portions of the block I9. The block l9, however, together with the handles 20 is movable radially withre- .spect to the shaft l5 so as to place the opening 22 in alignment with the shaft l5 and permit the shaft l5 to move upwardly. The handles 20 may be used both for the purpose of rotating the various parts in threading them together or unthreading them from each other and for the purpose of releasing the shaft l5.

In Fig. 3; the construction is substantially the same as in Figs. 1 and 2 with the exception, however, that instead of the shaft l5 there is provided a 'threaded shaft 24 which threadedly engages within an opening in the guide 25, this guide taking the place of the guide l4 of Fig. 1.

In this instance the same block l9 may be ernployed with the shaft 24 passing through theenlarged opening 22, or any other form of handle arrangement desired may be used. For the purpose of turning the shaft 24 to move it upwardly and .do'wnwardly through the guide 25 there is provided a handle or wrench 26 removably mounted on the upper end of this shaft.

In the form shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the handles 20 and the block l9 are entirely done away, with and fixed handles 20' are substituted for the handles 20. The member 21 is substituted for the member I 2, this member 21 being provided with a spiderlike portion 28 in the upper end thereof. This spiderlike portion has a central opening just sufiicient to permit the passage of a shaft 29 which takes the place of the shaft I5. This shaft 29 passes through a sealing means 30 into the hollow interior of a member 3| which is adapted to be filled with a suitable liquid 32.

-This member is threaded to the spider 28 at 33 and is provided with a plug at its upper end 34.

1 At its lower end it is in communication with a duct 35, the outer end of which is controlled by a petcock 36. When the chamber 32 is filled with liquid and the plug 34 is in place with the petcock 36 closed the shaft 29 cannot move upwardly and the valve is held in open position. When, however, the petcock 36 is opened to permit escape of 'the liquid within the chamber 32 and the shaft 29 then the valve may move upwardly to permit the valve to close. The chamber 32 is filled with liquid in any suitable manner, such as removing the plug 34 and pouring the liquid into the opening left thereby.

In operation, one use for this invention is set forth in Figs. 9 to 12, inclusive. In Fig. 9 is shown the upper end of a drill stem 31 having the box section 3 of a tool joint thereon. Let it be assumed that this is the upper end of a drill stem;- part of which is hanging in a well, and that the well begins to show signs of blowing out. The blowout preventers customarily provided will, of course, be closed about the outside of the drill stem but the blowing may continue through the drill stem. The device hereinbefore described consisting of 'fittings I, I0 and I2 with their associated' parts, or the device shown in Fig. 7 with the fitting 21 substituted for the fitting l2, will be kept in an available location adjacent the drill stem on the derrick fioor. This device will have been previously prepared with the parts in the pcsitcn shown in Fig. l or 7 with the valve held open. As soon as the well begins to show signs of blowing out through the drill stem, this device is placed on the upper end of the drill stem and threaded into place as shown in Fig. 10, the valve continuing to remain in open position so that flow may take place therethrough during the threading on operation. With the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as soon as it is fully threaded to the tool joint section 3, the handles 20 will be moved in the proper direction to shear the pin 23 and to move the block 19 so that the opening 22 will be in alignment with the shaft l5. The flow up through the drill stem will then force the valve and this shaft upwardly until the valve closes and the parts occupy the position shown in Fig. 2. The handles may then be employed together with tongs for removing the fitting l2 together with the shaft I5, the handles 20, et cetera. The well is now closed against further blowout and is in the condition shown in Fig. 11. Now, in the event it is desired to continue drilling withoutagain killing the well, this may be done by simply connecting the lower end of the next section of drill pipe 38 to the upper end of the fitting l0 because as heretofore noted the upper end of this fitting is adapted to receive the pin portion of a tool joint 39. The drill stem will then be lowered until the bit reaches the bottom of thewell and drilling may be carried on under pressure in a manner well, known. On the other hand, if it be desired, heavy mud may be forced through the drill stem. to overcome the' pressure of the .w'ell.and to again kill the'well for such further operations as may be deemed necessary. In either event, down flow of the drilling fluid or mud through the drill stem may take place'past the valve which now forms a part of the drill stem and this flow will not in any way be interrupted by this valve. The valve, however, will prevent any reverse flow through the drill stem and will thus serve as long as it is in place to prevent a blowout through the drill stem.

In the case of the device shown in Fig. 3, the only difference in operation from that above described will be that in opening the valve this will be accomplished by rotating the handle 26 instead of by moving the handles 20 radially with respect to the device.

With regard to the structure shown in Fig. '7, the opening of the valve will be accomplished by means of the netcock 36. It will be appreciated that upon opening this petcock the liquid may escape from the valve 32, the shaft 29 may move upwardly and the valve will be closed. The fitting 21 may then be removed and further procedure will be the same as above referred to.

It will be seen from the foregoing that a means has been'provided for guarding against the blowout of a well through the drill stem during the time that the drill stem is being re-- moved from or inserted into the well. During these'times the drill stem must, of course, necessarily be open, but by this invention there is provided a means which may be placed on the drill stem even though flow under heavy pres--' sure is taking place'therethrough at the time. This is because while the device is being placed on the drill stem flow is permitted therethrough but after it is in place the flow may be instantly shut off. At the same time, 'a device is provided which may from that time on form a part of the drill stem and will not interfere with drilling, or with killing" the well, or with any other operation which requires lowering the, drill stem into the well or forcing flow therethrough.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a drill pipe, a tool joint section on the upper end thereof, an upwardly closing check valve of substantially the same outer diameter as said tool joint connected to the upper end thereof, said check valve being formed at its upper end with a threaded con-- nection' corresponding to that of said tool joint section to which it is attached, and means threadedly connected to the upper end of said check valve and operable to releasably maintain said valve in open position, said means comprising a spider, a shaft carried by said spider and engaging the check valve to-hold it open, said shaft having an upwardly facing surface thereon, an abutment for engaging said upwardly facing surface and movable laterally to release said shaft for upward movement, and a laterally extending handle carried by said abutment for use in threadedly engaging and disengaging said last mentioned means and for moving said abutment laterally to release said shaft.

2. In combination, a drill pip'e, a tool joint section on the upper end thereof, an upwardly closing check valve connected to the upper end thereof, said check valve being formed at its upper end with a connection corresponding to that of said tool joint section-to which it is attached, and means connected to the upper end of saidchecl; valve and operable to releasably maintain said valve in open position, said means 4 section'on the upper. end thereof, an upwardly closing check valve connected to. the upper end thereof, said check valve being formed at its upper end with a connection corresponding to that of said tool joint section to which it is at tached, and means connected to the upper end ofv said check valve and operable to releasably maintain said valve inopen position, said means comprising a shaft carried by said means and engaging the check valve to hold it open, said shaft having an upwardly facing surface thereon, an' abutment for engaging said upwardly facing surface and movable laterally to release said shaft for upward movement, and a handle carried by said abutment for moving said abut- 'ment laterally to release said shaft.

' JAMES c. FORTUNE. 

